


First Mate (But Not in the Pirate Sense)

by DroppedAllTheseOreos



Series: Just You, Me, and All These Egg Fics [2]
Category: Kamen Rider Ex-Aid
Genre: Eggs, Exophilia, Gen, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Original Character(s), Temporary Amnesia, it's okay he gets better, shifting pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:21:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28379166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DroppedAllTheseOreos/pseuds/DroppedAllTheseOreos
Summary: Lovelica was certain that he's an incomplete Bugster. But his confidence in that is shaken because, for some reason, when he looks at Graphite, he gets flashes of a life he definitely hasn't lived. So when Graphite starts nesting in their base, he goes to get answers, seeing this as a perfect opportunity to not get interrupted while asking or have Graphite running off somewhere.
Relationships: Dan Kuroto/Parad, Graphite/Amagasaki Ren | Lovelica, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Just You, Me, and All These Egg Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2078559
Comments: 7
Kudos: 2
Collections: Oreos' Fanfic Gauntlets





	1. Chapter 1

A shaft of light opened up above Lovelica, beaming down onto his face, but he didn't bother to open his eyes or take a look around. The desk drawer getting opened was always brief and it would always close again eventually, so there was no point. But instead of it closing again, everything sort of tilted and shifted, and when he opened his eyes, he came face to face with a person, smiling at him somewhat creepily.

He was out of the desk. Whoever this was had actually taken him out of the desk and they were looking right at him with intent. Something deep down inside him told him that he should be worried, hoping that he went back into the desk drawer, but the overwhelming relief that he was out and there was someone to acknowledge him took over and he desperately put his hands against the screen of his prison.

Lovelica didn't even have to beg to be let out, because the curly-haired person tilted him down, so he was facing the ceiling instead, and suddenly there was a breaking apart and rush to reassemble until he was standing outside. He was free.

He wasn't even sure what he should do first, but as he looked around, his surroundings seemed familiar. An office of some sort, floor-to-ceiling windows and lots of strange and interesting furniture and decoration all around. Just as he felt like he was about to discover why this place felt so familiar, his liberator cleared their throat, and he turned around to face them.

"So you're Lovelica," They grinned, "I've always wanted to meet you."

The faint instinct to run welled up in him again, their voice seemed familiar, but he didn't know why it was setting him off like this. And where would he go? Instead, he squashed it down and nodded towards them, ready to hear out whatever they had to say.

* * *

Working with Parad ended up being pretty easy. He helped Lovelica figure out and get used to his powers quickly, and taught him what he was. A Bugster. It was quick, since they had a small window to get Poppy Pipopapo on their side, but the rundown Parad gave him seemed convincing enough. He was a virus, he needed to infect and kill a human to become complete, and humans wanted to eradicate them, so Parad was planning to start an extinction event that would allow Bugsters to live freely.

It seemed extreme for Lovelica's tastes.

He would much prefer to seduce the humans to their side, live in harmony somehow, but he wasn't exactly calling the shots here. And Parad freed him, so he would play his role. He owed the other Bugster that much. Taking the role of Genm CEO wasn't all that bad either, he quite enjoyed the attention and glamor, if he were honest.

And then the other Bugsters came into play. Parad had a new, updated version of the device that imprisoned him—a Bugvisor, he called it—and he released nine other Bugsters from it, and the last one to appear was... Well, Lovelica's initial reaction was "gorgeous," but seeing his face as he talked to Parad caused something in the back of his brain to start buzzing and a staticky, tingling feeling at the tips of his fingers. Though Lovelica was certain he'd never seen him before, his brain was conjuring sensations and hints of images that felt familiar. Sweltering heat, something wrapped around him, and that other Bugster's face fading in and out of the vision of his mind's eye, almost giving way to something green and spiked, something that should've been terrifying, but only brought him a sense of calm.

He shook himself from the stupor when he noticed the others starting to disperse, getting themselves acquainted with their new base of operations for the moment. Lovelica hurriedly started walking away as well, wondering what that was. It sounded like it could've been a "host memory" like Parad had mentioned before, but Parad also told him he wasn't a complete Bugster, so he shouldn't have any. Intending to find a quiet space to himself where he could think this over, his eyes drifted over to that other Bugster and he froze, seeing that he was glaring at him. He wondered what he must've done to get that reaction and hurried away.


	2. Chapter 2

Graphite didn't really like Lovelica as their newest team member.

It should've been fine with him, Poppy, and Parad running things. Graphite would like to limit his contact with the other Bugster because of all the confusing feelings he created, but he couldn't deny that it made sense. The TokiMeki Bugster was considered one of them at the top. His abilities were certainly useful, and he wasn't around all that often since he was always busy putting on a show for the people at Genm being their "new CEO" and all. But Graphite couldn't shake the sense of unease he got whenever they were close together.

There was a sense of familiarity about Lovelica that he shouldn't have gotten at all since he was sure they'd never met before now. Especially when it came from memories of his dead nestmate.

Something about his scent and the way he'd smile genuinely at the other Bugsters made him think of...

The wall crunched under its fist as he willed the memories away.

He didn't need to dwell on this anymore. He wasn't doing his mate any good by only remembering him as a dead man, he deserved more respect than whatever Graphite had been doing since he accidentally killed him. Graphite resolved to continue avoiding Lovelica as much as possible. He'd get over this eventually, so he could work with him properly. But right now, he needed space.


	3. Chapter 3

Lovelica noticed that Graphite had been avoiding him ever since Parad released him from the Bugvisor, but this was on a completely new level of isolation. In the deepest, darkest corner of the server room, furthest from the cooling units and the other Bugsters, Graphite set up what could only be described as a nest. Parad found him, standing and staring at the entrance wondering if he should finally go in and check on the dragon. Before Lovelica could ask, or make a decision, Parad grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away, then gathered everyone up for a meeting. He told everyone to leave Graphite alone for the next week or so, and they all listened, not wanting to mess with an angry dragon; which is what he implied would happen if they came anywhere near the nest.

Lovelica thought it was sort of suspicious, given that he'd stood right outside of the nest a few times before, and nothing happened. Maybe he just got lucky, or Graphite was still avoiding him.

How disappointing.

Despite Graphite's initial hostility, and his general avoidance, Lovelica was still intrigued by him. Maybe it was _because_ of the lack of interaction that Lovelica was getting drawn in, being ignored certainly added an air of mystery and intrigue to their relationship. Perhaps the more tsundere rivals in TokiMeki crisis were onto something, though he could never employ the strategy himself. But unlike the others from his game, Graphite was never hostile nor completely avoidant, so Lovelica felt mostly comfortable pursuing him. At least it wasn't a romantic pursuit this time, he just wanted to get some answers; the others would probably be relieved if they knew.

While Parad's warning to stay away should've ended the pursuit right then and there, at least until Graphite was feeling better, the way it didn't match up with what actually happened when he stood outside the nest set off alarms in his head. The suspicion made him want to go back at least one more time and figure out what was _really_ happening, maybe even get an answer or two if that was in the stars for him today.

And that's how he ended up here, in front of the entrance to the nest again. This time, however, he left no room to wait for someone to catch him or get dragged away again. This time, he knelt down and poked his head in, softly calling Graphite's name and asking permission to come in.

As Lovelica looked around for the other Bugster, he took in the nest for real, not just the vague shapes of shadows cast through the blankets covering the nest by some internal light source. At first glance, it looked hastily thrown together, and details were a bit hard to make out from the dim lighting of an electric lamp placed at the far left corner of the space. But as his eyes adjusted, he noticed it wasn't as messy as his first impression would have him believe. There seemed to be a very deliberate way the sheets and blankets were folded and placed so they made a soft and somewhat visually appealing space to lay in. The pillows were either strategically placed in the best resting spots, or being used as anchors to keep the blanket tent in place.

And in the middle of it all was Graphite, laying there curled around a colorful quilt bunched up into a whorl of fabric.

 _'The eggs...'_ his brain supplied, and he didn't even have time to question that thought as a rush of dissonant memories and thoughts started filling his head. 

The cozy, warm atmosphere of the nest was making Lovelica feel safe and at ease, but at the same time, images of a very different, darker nest, and a bit more cramped but still homey, and the feeling he was being ripped away from it suddenly flashed through his mind. He stumbled back out of the nest, until he felt himself bursting apart and pixelating away.

He stumbled as he landed, and took a few moments to just stand there and hold himself tight. When Lovelica finally felt steady again, he looked around slowly to notice he was standing on the Genm roof. Fortunately, he'd been smart enough to do all this after hours, so there wasn't anyone to see him suddenly appear and completely blow his cover.

But at the front of his mind, and haunting the backs of his eyelids, visions from a life that definitely wasn't his continued to play. There were the sensations of something pulling him away from Graphite, the dragon snarling and reaching out for him. Then, his own hand, managing to break free reaching back for him suddenly appearing in his vision. But that hand wasn't actually his. It was bigger, rough and worn, and hairy across the knuckles and forearm.

That wasn't him, but it also _was._ Even though they felt dissonant from how he viewed himself, he also felt an inexplicably powerful connection to that body and those memories as _his._

Maybe he wasn't as incomplete of a Bugster as he was led to believe.


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next couple of days, the memories from Lovelica's host came trickling back. Though, they were more like a torrent of emotions and sensations when pieces of his last few weeks of life came crashing back into the front of his mind. That could make sense, Lovelica figured. It had to have been around the time he infected his host, so their connection at the time could've made these memories, in particular, more vivid and intense as he remembered them. And there was a _lot_ in those final weeks that he learned as his former life started to take shape.

* * *

His name used to be Oyama Shuuji. Nothing too spectacular or flashy like his names now.

Oyama Shuuji was a janitor at Genm.

And Oyama Shuuji had just had his heart broken three weeks before his death.

At the time it made perfect sense. He was plain and gruff-looking. He was one of those guys who always looked middle-aged after he hit puberty because of his square jaw, thick eyebrows, and stocky frame. Well, at least his age finally caught up to his looks. And while he was built, he was just average height, maybe a few centimeters taller at best. Maybe that's why he never cut an imposing figure that guys who looked like him could, and why he was often ignored instead. Didn't help that he was quiet, either.

While Shuuji looked himself over in the mirror after the break-up, eyes all red and swollen from crying like a baby, and his face still wet from tears, he could easily understand why she left. He wasn't much to look at, and though being a janitor paid enough, it wasn't like he had a lot to spare on gifts and nice dinners out. Shuuji liked his simple lifestyle, but he suddenly realized after starting his relationship, he wanted to go out of his way to get all these special, fancy things for his girlfriend, and he always felt like a disappointment that he couldn't. And it's not like he was trying to live up to some protector and provider image like his body type might suggest. He fumbled with words, and while he was strong, he wasn't much in a fight. Between him and his ex, they both preferred it if she handled any confrontation.

As he continued to look, Shuuji noticed that his hair, usually trimmed close to his scalp, was starting to grow out and look sloppy. Well, at least he could fix that easily. The rest... There wasn't much helping all of that, and she was gone anyway, probably on her way to a life with someone better suited for her.

* * *

Life continued on after that day.

Though Shuuji stumbled through it aimlessly, like he couldn't quite remember how he functioned before he started dating. His days felt like they had mysterious gaps—waiting outside of the building before walking home, instinctively refreshing his phone on breaks expecting new messages, planning what to make for dinner or getting a little something extra like strawberries or caramels while buying groceries—and once he remembered why, _who_ those habits were formed for, he poured himself into whatever task he had next in an attempt to distract himself.

And as the days went by, it seemed to work. Eventually, he started to feel more like himself, more at ease with his routine even if he'd fall back into old habits sometimes. Shuuji got so good at distracting himself, he completely missed the "Do Not Enter" sign on the big boss's door when he was doing his rounds one night.

When Shuuji stepped into Dan Kuroto's office, he was completely taken aback by how much the place had changed since yesterday. Most of the furniture was either missing or... He suspected hidden under the mess of sheets covering what looked like a giant pile of furniture in the center of the room.

Maybe the boss was doing some redecorating, so this would be the perfect time to really clean up the place. Usually, there'd be a memo for days like this, but maybe they just forgot to send it to him. Or maybe they assigned someone else to do it? Either way, if he cleaned now he could get it all done, or give the next person a little head start.

He lost himself in the flow of work, dusting, and vacuuming, then mopping just to make sure he got everything nice and ready for Dan and however he wanted to rearrange his furniture. When Shuuji came back to himself, it was much later than he usually stayed and he started packing up. He got the place as nice as it could be, so even though he didn't get to everything, it was good enough.

Just as he was starting to leave, a soft groan and gagging noise caught his attention. He looked around, certain it was just his imagination. But if there was someone still here, the scents of the cleaning chemicals were pretty strong, so it only made sense someone would have trouble breathing.

"Hello?" He called out into the empty office.

And while Shuuji expected and sort of hoped for no response, he got coughing and weak retching noises in response... coming from the covered furniture pile. He hadn't touched it since he didn't have the time, but if someone was in there...

He gasped, then propped open the door with his cart and rushed over to the furniture pile. If they had asthma or something maybe they needed immediate medical attention. He needed to get in there and figure out what—

Shuuji's next words, about to ask if they were okay, caught in his throat. Whoever... _Whatever_ this thing had curled up in the couches, wasn't human. Its head snapped to him, and quicker than he could blink, it was reaching out for him with clawed hands, one red, one green, both adorned with wickedly sharp spikes. The thing grabbed him by the front of his coveralls and hauled him into the couches with it.

Now, Shuuji rediscovered his voice and he started screaming bloody murder as he tried to wrestle out of the thing's grip, but it was surprisingly strong. Like, nothing should be this strong, he could barely budge or wriggle around in the grip it had around him. The thing grunted as he continued to call for help that probably wasn't going to come, but that didn't deter it from burying its face into his neck. Shuuji started hyperventilating, continuing his fruitless struggle now that he was certain he was going to be eaten. Even though it had no visible mouth, somehow he was going to be eaten for sure!

But as he continued to lie there, held tight in the creature's grasp, the pain of a bite never came. He quieted and relaxed the slightest bit. Long enough to realize that the thing felt more like it was... cuddling into him? It was still holding tight to keep him immobilized, but he certainly wasn't going to die here like he first thought.

It was sniffling at him, which was weird. After a relieved sigh, it buried its face further into his skin, trying to shove the collar of his coveralls aside with its beak thing to get more contact. That's when it clicked, the chemicals must've been bothering this thing, and he guessed he would live until the scents faded and he wasn't necessary to block them out anymore. He should find an escape route for when that happened.

Also, there were so many questions that he had now. Like what was their boss doing with a monster in his office... Wait. As he looked closer the thing looked like... he recognized it from somewhere.

The thing shuffled again and he caught a better look at its face this time, making everything click.

The posters for that Dragon something game. This thing was on some of them. As it seemed to fall asleep against him, he knew he'd gotten way in over his head.

* * *

Shuuji hadn't intended to fall asleep, but he found himself waking up at his usual time the next morning, still wrapped up tight in the video game monster's embrace... And Dan Kuroto hovering over him, looking less than pleased. The boss tried to maintain a neutral expression, but anger and possibly disgust kept leaking through.

"So, how'd he get in?" a voice asked from outside the nest, still hidden by the curtains surrounding it.

Dan clicked his tongue, "Apparently someone forgot to get him the memo that the office was off limits this week, and ignored the sign on the door."

Shuuji held back a resigned sigh. Even his own work forgot about him. He shouldn't be surprised, but he was at least hoping his job would give him some recognition. He'd been around since Dan's father was the boss. Only a couple of years before Masamune's arrest, granted, but still, he'd been here a while, they could at least remember he existed.

There was a faint, amused giggle from the person standing outside, "So what should we do with him?"

Dan sighed, "I didn't really want someone like this to be our test subject, but this is quite opportune."

Shuuji tensed even further when he realized the monster beside him had been growling, this whole time, only catching his attention now when it raised in volume slightly in response to whatever Dan was taking out from his jacket. Its claws tightened their grip around him as the boss pointed a strange-looking purple and black device. It kind of looked like one of the prototype models for Genm's handheld console, but with a chainsaw at one end and two red prongs at the other. He pointed the pronged end at Shuuji now, and suddenly his vision was filled with bright, and motion, and a spectrum of orange and yellow. He faintly felt some rocking and then suddenly the monster keeping him captive was on top of him, and Dan swore.

With his face pressed up against the monster's armored chest plate, he guessed the second person thought it was safe enough to come out of hiding, because their voice was much closer this time when they said, "Well, Graphite covered him, but it should've been enough."

Dan responded with a huff, and Shuuji could hear his shoes clicking away, back towards his desk.

"I'm excited to see what kind of ally you become," the second person whispered to him, sending a chill down Shuuji's spine. He didn't even hear them walk away, and he had to assume they were still there, watching and waiting.

* * *

Ever since Dan did whatever he did with that purple GameBoy looking device, Shuuji had developed the worst case of the sniffles he'd ever had in his life. One of the other janitors, Jirou, had terrible allergies and was prone to hayfever in the spring, coming in all teary and red-eyed, with his nose running and rubbed red from all the tissues he went through. Shuuji was certain he looked the same as him, even though he'd never had allergies before.

But even stranger than that, the monster who'd kidnapped him, Graphite, was being very doting. He would suddenly burst into pixels, the same color as the stuff that came out of that weird GameBoy, turn into a _human,_ disappear, and then return with some hot tea and snacks from the downstairs vending machines. Shuuji had screamed the first few times that happened, and he could feel the watch of Dan and that other person through the sheets every time. He wasn't sure if it annoyed them, or if they were waiting for something in particular to happen.

And it's not like he could escape either, the sudden onset of allergies was leaving him with his head feeling stuffy and heavy, making him just want to lie down, and the one time he did try to leave after Graphite's sudden disappearance, Dan just stopped him with an "I wouldn't do that." The tone was slightly mocking and sinister, maybe even trying to bait him into leaving. He must've thought Shuuji was a more rebellious or strong-headed man than he actually was. So instead, he quickly returned to the couches to wait for Graphite, not wanting to risk whatever dangers the boss seemed to imply were out there.

The only time he would actually leave would be for a restroom break. Graphite was stubborn at first but would let Shuuji go, transforming into his human self to accompany him. Normally, he would've felt weird about it, being one of those people that got anxious when others were in the bathrooms. But with how sick and miserable he was, he accepted the escort gratefully.

And whenever Graphite _was_ around and they had nothing to do, it was always back to that tight, warm embrace and cuddling. Sometimes it would be as a human, with Graphite wanting to get back to it as soon as he brought food, and other times he'd change back, letting Shuuji take his time to work through the food and drink he brought.

Shuuji took a peek under the bundle of sheets between them during one of these cuddle sessions and realized there was a bunch of eggs under there. He dropped the cover in shock. So that's why he hadn't been eaten or anything yet. He was a glorified egg heater, and with the hayfever, the boss infected him with, he oughta be the prime candidate for the job... (He wasn't entirely sure if hayfever actually gave him a fever, but it had the word in it, and his face did feel hot, so he assumed that's why.)

It stung a little, to realize that was his purpose after all the attention and gentle care Graphite had been providing for him. He thought he was a little more than that.

* * *

Despite his bitterness, or maybe because Graphite sensed it, the monster was quick to prove him wrong.

It had to be the third or fourth day of his stay when the kissing started. Just light little brushes of lips against his cheeks or forehead and Shuuji always pushed them away.

Guys couldn't kiss guys, right?

But put together with the knowledge of the eggs shoved in between them... In that case... did Graphite consider him... like a husband or wife or something? Shuuji couldn't be entirely sure, and Graphite certainly wasn't vocal on the matter. Some kind of egg co-parent, he decided on. That felt like the best way to describe the sudden shows of affection from the other man.

He couldn't remember a time where he'd ever had to face the concept of two men kissing in this intimate sense. It was always a man and a woman or a woman and a man, so Graphite wanting to kiss him... That just wasn't how things worked. Shuuji was grateful to him for being so caring in this whole process, but he wouldn't just go and kiss him like that. He was already Graphite's prisoner, that should've been enough.

Graphite would make little grunts when he'd get pushed away, but he wouldn't keep going, easily taking the rejection and Shuuji could appreciate that, too. The weird monster wasn't all that bad. Between being his prisoner and finding out his boss was running some kind of strange experiments here with all the talk about test subjects and shooting people with consoles that could give people hayfever, Shuuji definitely preferred Graphite.

* * *

As the hours (days maybe?) dragged on, Shuuji started to feel a bit lonely. He technically had all the companionship in the world with a huge, spikey green monster or a handsome man very intent on cuddling him, but he wasn't very vocal. He mainly just grunted or gave Shuuji little "hmm"s. He got quite good at reading the tones of each of those sounds, but it wasn't much conversation outside of the occasional word for clarification, like "drink?" to help him figure out what to get from the vending machines, or more tissues instead.

So he started talking to him. Just little introductory things, to fill the air and distract him from how scratchy and uncomfortable the shredded couch foam lining the nest was. His first attempt was awkward, "We never got formally introduced but I'm Oyama Shuuji... and, um, I caught your name is Graphite from someone else."

He had a hard time finding the words he wanted to say at first.

"I'm a janitor here. Is there anything you do? Um... not to imply you're lazy or anything I'm just curious if you do other things than lay around here— Oh, no wait! Sorry, sorry..."

He'd never spoken this much in his life, so of course, he stumbled a lot.

"I kind of like video game stuff, got an electrical engineering degree thinking I could do hardware development and all that, maybe with the circuit boards or something since the look of them always interested me, but um... Yeah I'm kinda stupid, haha. The technology for it advanced so quickly with all this online purchasing stuff and there's a bunch more you need to know to do console design, so being a janitor here is the next best thing. I get to sort of see how things work."

He was used to silence, not speaking and no one ever really wanted to speak with him. _At_ him certainly. But slowly, expressing himself as he was, instead of what he thought wanted people wanted, got easier.

"Even though things for me seem kinda simple and dull, it's not that bad. Having a boring life makes almost everything exciting. There's this restaurant I go to every month, because they always have a new seasonal item, I always feel this little swell of happiness checking out what they're up to, even if it's something I might not like, it's a little adventure of it's own trying something different."

And all the while, Graphite would quietly watch and listen to him. Even with the close attention, it never felt like he judged, just... listened. Shuuji could begin to read all the little expressions and gestures he'd give in response and made sure to ask for clarification if he still didn't understand. Sometimes, the monster even mustered up enough energy to say a few words in response, which always got a surprised eyebrow raise or a nervous smile from Shuuji. His voice was very nice. Not all growly and rough and deep like he'd imagine a dragon to be, given his game, but smooth and honestly kind of soft-spoken. Maybe it wasn't his regular voice given the situation, but still, surprisingly nice.

This whole experience was surprisingly nice.

Having all the focus on him would normally make him nervous, but all the time and something about the monster allowed him to ease into it. Graphite would even crawl closer and rest on his shoulder or chest. If he was human, then he would nuzzle his cheek against Shuuji's body with closed eyes, and as he listened, feeling the vibrations of Shuuji's words against him, his normally cold, neutral expression would melt into something soft and content.

Shuuji found that was one of his favorite parts of talking...

and his favorite parts of this stay, as well.

* * *

The night Shuuji found his courage to talk about the break up to Graphite was also the night he finally broke down.

Whatever Kuroto did to him was starting to get worse. He got sudden bouts where it suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe, his airways too plugged up to let in any air, and his throat sometimes feeling like it was closing up. Graphite did what he could. He scavenged towels that were probably from the locker room since he came back with them all damp and cool to help wipe the sweat away or just give him some relief. And he kept bringing food and drink, making sure Shuuji ate and kept his strength up.

Shuuji turned to face him, lie on his side and hold Graphite like they usually did, even as the monster tried to have him lie comfortably on his back again.

"Why are you caring for me like this?" Shuuji asked.

He'd been wondering for a while, but never thought to ask. He always expected the answers to be something about the sake of the eggs. Couldn't heat them if he was dead, after all. Or maybe it was something else out of convenience. Maybe Graphite _was_ planning on eating him afterward but it was better to eat something healthy and fresh. 

"I somewhat know how this feels," Graphite whispered, surprising him as he brushed a claw against his forehead, then up into his hair, nails dragging lightly against the scalp.

"It's lonely if someone isn't with you."

Shuuji sucked in a breath through his mouth, feeling strange. Graphite didn't seem entirely like himself in this moment. Like something, or... Well, no 'or.' He didn't like the implications of this, but he felt almost certain _someone_ had crept their way into Graphite's skin, his mannerisms, his tone. Someone still bitter about being left alone in their time of need, but trying to find the good in the situation, do their best to stay positive.

Shuuji reached out in that moment, gripping Graphite's shoulder tightly and nodding once, "I think I know how that feels too."

He never thought he'd talk about this, especially to someone who was mostly a stranger. But the safety and comfort Graphite provided, on top of the pain that had Shuuji convinced he'd be dead by morning from whatever Dan had given him made him realize he wanted to open up about this. Talk about these feelings for the first and final time. And he slowly opened up about the break-up, describing his ex, how she was a programmer here, and what he liked about her. The sharp wit, the determination that accompanied everything she set out to do, the strength when she'd stand her ground. And the genuine kindness she showed when she was allowed the space and time to actually open up.

And with every word, it felt like a dam starting to break in Shuuji. All the thoughts about how inadequate he was and how she was better off now; everything he bottled up and shoved down began to spill out of him until he was crying and clinging to Graphite.

And to make matters worse, or maybe better depending on how he looked at it, as he continued to talk and be held, he realized that Graphite had made him feel things his ex never had. He certainly still loved her, and wished her the best. But she'd never been able to make an uncomfortable, unfamiliar space like this feel like home.

Maybe it was for the best she left because it might not have worked out.

As his crying finally slowed, and he whispered a "Thank you for being here for me," against Graphite's scales, he was so happy he was finally home, and hoped she found a nice one to settle down with as well.


	5. Chapter 5

"He's still alive?"

Shuuji blinked awake to that voice from before. He still didn't know who it belonged to, but it was familiar by now with how much the owner of the voice spoke with Dan near the nest.

Dan sighed frustratedly, "He's stubborn, for sure. It looked like it was going to fully form today, but there's something..."

From how far their voices sounded, Shuuji guessed they were outside the nest, maybe they just peeked in and took their conversation to a more "private" place. Private enough, since Shuuji couldn't catch every word they said, but he caught snatches of it. 'Stress levels suddenly lowered,' from Kuroto after some clicking and beeping that sounded like medical equipment, and 'gotten used to the affection' and some laughter from the other voice, accompanying 'a real beauty and the beast story.' Then there was the soft '...separate them' from Dan that made his heart squeeze nervously.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed his arm and yanked on him. Shuuji struggled to get away but another hand grabbed him by the bicep with surprising strength (not as strong but scarily like Graphite's own) and hauled him away from Graphite. The dragon snapped awake immediately, snarling and trying to grab for him back. Shuuji turned to see who was pulling him away, but Dan's companion stayed ever out of sight and mysterious. He guessed it didn't matter what the guy looked like and struggled to get away, trying to reach for the dragon again. For home. He just found it, this wasn't fair that he was being taken from him! Just as he managed to rip an arm out of the other's grasp and reach for Graphite—

His body suddenly... shuddered wasn't the word for it, but it was the closest he could describe the feeling. If a chill could make someone temporarily wink out of existence as they trembled to get warm again, that's what Shuuji would say happened to him.

Graphite was growling even louder and antsier now, almost crawling out of the nest but obviously torn between Shuuji and not abandoning the eggs as the mystery person dragged him further and further away.

The last thing Shuuji saw was Graphite, still reaching for him as Dan's companion released him, letting him fall to the floor as a feeling like electricity flowed through him, stinging and burning as he tore apart piece by piece until he was nothing.

* * *

And then there was something again, but Shuuji wasn't conscious for it anymore. 

He wouldn't be conscious ever again, at least fully.

Because he was part of Lovelica now. And with his memories, Lovelica wanted to get back to Graphite again. Get them and the eggs far, far away from these people who were sure to hurt them further. But just as he started to run towards Graphite, he was stopped by a feeling of being broken down again, but without the pain of the previous time. And then, he was thrown into darkness with the sound of a desk drawer slamming closed.

The rest of Lovelica's life from that point onwards had been defined by that sound. Get taken out, try to get to Graphite or escape somehow, back in the device. Desk drawer slams shut. Get let out, either try to escape or something got injected into him with those two red prongs again, back in the device. Desk drawer slams shut. They wisened up enough and stopped letting him out, just injecting things into him through the device. Desk drawer slams shut.

And every time he went through that cycle, he did his best to hold onto his memories. But they slowly slipped away one by one until he was a blank slate, waiting for Parad... His savior, but only by design, since Lovelica easily recognized that voice that was always talking with Kuroto, now.


	6. Chapter 6

Kuroto clicked his tongue as he looked at the practically comatose Graphite, all curled up around his eggs with his back to the next 'mate' that happened to stumble in his nest. The employee looked absolutely terrified. Well, _former_ employee, Kuroto thought as he loaded up another dosage of the Shakariki Sports virus into the Bugvisor and watched them disappear into nothing. He waited for Charlie to form, but knew it was fruitless after a minute of waiting.

Finding out Graphite had taken a liking to the janitor and actually nested with him was a surprisingly good place to test the capabilities of the virus, study its incubation period. However, Graphite had been sad ever since they took the janitor and turned him into the TokiMeki Bugster. He refused to nest with any of the other employees Kuroto found less than satisfactory and threw to the dragon, and all of them had just disappeared like previous subjects. None of them fully formed like Graphite or Lovelica, and he couldn't figure out what he was missing.

Speaking of, Lovelica had been a problem of his own, that thankfully had been fixed by Parad's suggestion of overwriting his "save data" so to speak. He'd still be in the drawer, for now, with the prototype Bugvisor. Good to have in reserve for whenever they found a need for him.

"Another failure, huh?" Parad's voice came from behind him, arms coming to wrap around him. The Bugster's knees bumped against him as he bent them to be the perfect height to rest his head against Kuroto's shoulder.

Kuroto tucked the device back into his jacket and sighed. "Yes. I'm not sure what I'm missing, but maybe it's something about the emotional state of the host that allows them to fully incubate their Bugsters at this point."

"Could be. That girl was fighting to stay alive for someone she loved, wasn't she?" He tilted his head to look at Graphite, "And Lovelica's was as well, I think... Maybe we should stop these tests."

Kuroto nodded curtly, "I was thinking the same thing. Perhaps the emotional response we need is something we'll be able to bring out once the players get involved."

"Now you've got my heart dancing, Genm."

Kuroto huffed, turning to press a quick kiss to Parad's temple, "I thought that would. Let's get to work."


	7. Chapter 7

Graphite's eyes fluttered open as he noticed some shifts in the nest. He quickly blinked to awareness when he realized there was an intruder. How could he be so careless—

The scent of the intruder hit him and he swallowed back tears. His mate... His mate came back... When he sat up to fully face him, he saw he looked different, and even his scent was different. What used to be a savory, musky scent with a hint of honey had turned into something sweet and floral, underscored with that same musk. But somehow, through all of the sensory dissonance, Graphite could still find hints of him underneath. He panted, starting to feel dizzy. After swallowing down the sick feeling welling up inside him, he gritted his teeth, sucking a steadying breath through them, trying to fight through the haze his instincts created. His maybe-mate froze under his gaze and Graphite tried to shuffle towards him, wanting to make sure he really was...

A cool hand reached out and brushed the bangs from his eyes, and he leaned into the touch. He didn't want to get distracted, but this was so nice, this felt so similar to the way Shuuji would hold him. The hand was different, softer, unlike Shuuji's that were rough from work, but the way it cradled his face perfectly as he closed his eyes and rubbed his cheek against it.

"Shuuji..." He mumbled into the other man's skin.

"Yes, but also no..." And the voice was wrong too, but it still was in the right range and Graphite opened his eyes again, moving away from the touch so he could look up at his maybe-mate.

He'd moved to kneel in front of Graphite, smiling softly at him, and things finally came together through the haze, Lovelica, in his human form, "He was my host." The Bugster said, nodding to him once.

Graphite's heart squeezed, "No." He turned away from the other Bugster, "He died. He's gone forever."

Lovelica reached for him, but seemed to think better of it, "Not from your virus, though. I guess that's obvious now," He chuckled, gesturing to himself.

Graphite wanted to argue, but echoes of his conversation with Kiriya from the last time he nested bubbled to the surface in his mind. His breathing finally slowed as the doctor’s cool tone put him at ease and he remembered his doubts about Kuroto's recap of how Shuuji died. Things started to fall into place and he turned back to Lovelica, reaching out with trembling hands. The other Bugster knelt to meet him halfway in an awkward half straddle, but it was fine. Graphite pulled him down easily so he could cuddle him as tightly as possible, making them clip into each other a bit, their pixels starting to spark as they glowed where they meshed together.

They stayed like that for what felt like ages, until Graphite finally lifted him up to place him in his spot on the other side of the eggs. Lovelica gasped and chuckled at the show of strength, cuddling as close as possible to Graphite once he was set down. As they laced their fingers together, Graphite silently promised that he was going to do his best to keep them together this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, I'm glad to get this done. Not entirely happy with it, but I'm just really glad that it's out there and I don't have to have this hovering over my shoulder going into the new year XD
> 
> Thanks much for reading! I have a [writing Tumblr ](https://droppedalltheseoreos.tumblr.com/) if you'd like to drop by and say hi or something!

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by some stuff [aquabluejay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquabluejay/pseuds/aquabluejay) said while I was planning out the first fic, so thank you for the inspiration!


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